Lions have to be smarter playing the ref, says Rory Best

The British & Irish Lions will have to smarten up at scrum time and focus on painting better pictures for referees following the frustrations in defeat to the Highlanders.

With South African Jaco Peyper next up to take charge of the tourists this Saturday in Rotorua when head coach Warren Gatland is due to send a near-Test strength side out against the Maori All Blacks a week before the series-opening All Blacks encounter in Auckland, the Lions have been put on notice that they are going to have to work harder to win over southern hemisphere referees at scrum-time.

Two late scrum penalties at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium cost the Lions dearly yesterday as they let a 22-13 lead slip in the final quarter, losing 23-22 to a Highlanders side and forward pack which got on the right side of Australian official Angus Gardner, much to the frustration of hooker Rory Best.